SIA walk in from Jakarta: the timeline from application to Singapore, the bond, the accommodation and the questions Indonesians ask me
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#1 Singaporean, SIA crew for a while, and I get a lot of messages from Indonesian and Malaysian applicants because they see my name and assume I know how it works for foreigners. I do, partly, because half my batch were foreign. So here is the version for the regional applicant.
Who SIA hires from the region
Singaporeans and PRs, and then Malaysians, Indonesians, Thais, Filipinos, Indians, Chinese, Koreans, Japanese and others, with the mix shifting depending on route needs. The walk in interviews happen in Singapore regularly and in regional cities occasionally. If you are in Jakarta, watch for a Jakarta session but be ready to fly to Singapore for one, which is what most people do.
The walk in itself
A long day. Registration and document check with the height measurement (158 for women, 165 for men), then a group round where you introduce yourself and answer a question or two, then a cut. Then a one to one interview in English with a recruiter, then a cut. Then for the ones remaining, a further interview and sometimes a written English test. Some people are told the same day. Some get a call within two weeks. The 'uniform check' that people whisper about is real: at the final stage you may be asked to try the kebaya to check fit, and it is exactly as awkward as it sounds and completely routine.
The timeline after
Medical in Singapore at the appointed clinic, then the offer, then the work pass for foreigners (the company handles it), then a start date. From walk in to first day of training has ranged from three months to eight in the people I know. Training is about four months and it is the most thorough I have heard of anywhere.
The bond
A training bond exists. The period and the amount are stated in the contract and they are enforced. If you leave before the bond period ends you pay a pro rated amount. This is not a secret and it is not a trap, but read it and know the number before you sign. Most crew stay well past it.
Accommodation for foreigners
Not company provided in the Gulf sense. There is a housing arrangement and an allowance and most foreign crew share flats in the east near the airport. Singapore rent is high and the allowance covers part of it. Budget honestly for this, it is the part that surprises regional applicants who assumed it would be like Doha.
Pay
Basic plus flying allowances that are paid per hour flown and per layover, and after the first year a decent income for Singapore, with long haul crew doing notably better than regional. I will not give a number because it moves, but foreign crew from the region tend to find the saving rate good once the flat is sorted.
The questions Indonesians ask me
Is the English test hard: it is a conversation and a short written piece, and if you can read this forum comfortably you are fine. Do they prefer a diploma or a degree: a diploma is accepted, a degree is not required. Is the grooming as strict as people say: yes. Is it worth it: for most of my foreign batch mates, yes, and the ones who left did so for family reasons, not because of the job.
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#2 Jakarta, walk in next month, and this is the post I have been searching for since I decided to apply. The accommodation point is the one I had wrong. I assumed company housing. Recalculating now. Thank you.
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#3 SIA too, and Grace has it right. For Indonesians specifically: the English conversation is where people from Jakarta shine, and the height check is where some fall. Measure yourself barefoot against a wall before you book the flight to Singapore.
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#4 Malaysian, in SIA training now, and the four months are exactly as thorough as she says. Also the kebaya fitting is awkward and routine and nobody laughs, which somehow makes it more awkward.
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#5 Filipino, different carrier, but I did the SIA walk in in Manila years ago. The cut after the group round was fast and quiet, a list of numbers, and I was on the wrong side. Reapplied two years later in Singapore and got through. The regional sessions are more competitive than the Singapore ones in my experience because everyone in the city turns up.
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#6 @danielmnl that matches what I have heard. Singapore sessions are bigger but the ratio is often kinder.
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#7 Vietnamese, applying, and I want to ask the awkward one: is the proportional weight check real or a rumour? I am at the minimum height and worried.
